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street - Ridgewood Road. The City Council will need to make a determination utilizing the following variance findings and criteria on whether there are practical difficulties with complying with the zoning regulations. If the applicants do not meet all the factors of the statutory test, then a variance should not be granted. Variances are only permitted when they are in harmony with the general purposes and intent of the ordinance. Purpose and Intent. The variance request shall comply with the purpose and intent of the provisions of the City's Zoning Regulations and with the policies of the City's Comprehensive Plan. The Applicants have stated the variance request for 3588 Ridgewood Road is consistent with the purpose and intent of the R-1 Zoning District and with the policies within the City's Comprehensive Plan. A single-family detached dwelling is a permitted use within the Low Density Residential land use designation and the R-1 Zoning District. 2. Practical Difficulties. The Applicant for a variance shall establish that there are practical difficulties in complying with the provisions of the Arden Hills Zoning Regulations. The term "Practical Difficulties" as used in the granting of a variance means: a. Reasonable Use. The property owner proposes to use the property in a reasonable manner not permitted by the Zoning Ordinance. The Subject Property is non -conforming with the R-1 district standards due to the preexisting lot depth. The Applicants have stated that without the granting of some form of variances the property would not be able to be put to a reasonable use such as construction of a home. They've indicated that their proposed home would be the same distance away from Ridgewood Road as the home directly to the north, and the proposed access to Snelling Avenue North will be similar to the adjacent circumstances in keeping with the character of the neighborhood. b. Unique Circumstances. The plight of the property owner is due to circumstances unique to the property not created by the landowner. As confirmed by the City Attorney, a variance from the R-1 District minimum lot depth of 130 feet reduced to a mean lot depth of 97.4 feet would be necessary for future development of the Subject Property to occur. The Applicants have further stated that they are not responsible for the original configuration of the Subject Property which is driving the need for the variances requested. They've noted that the request for the driveway access off of Snelling Avenue North is a result of the unsafe conditions that would be created with access off of Ridgewood Road due to the significant elevation difference between the available building pad and the road. c. Character of Neighborhood. The variance, if granted, will not alter the essential character of the neighborhood. The Applicants have stated that they have orientated the house and configured the layout of the parcel in a manner that would ensure consistency and compatibility within this neighborhood. Page 7 of 11